§ 8.13. New York state Edith Wharton citation of merit for fiction
writers. 1. The governor shall biennially present the New York state
Edith Wharton citation of merit to a distinguished New York author upon
the recommendation of the panel constituted in this section. The author
selected shall be considered the state author and the citation shall
carry an honorarium of ten thousand dollars.

2. The institute shall biennially appoint and convene an advisory
panel of distinguished authors and persons with particular expertise in
the field of fiction. The director of the institute shall be a permanent
member of the advisory panel and each current state author shall serve
as a member of the panel in choosing the recipient of the next New York
state Edith Wharton citation of merit. The panel shall recommend to the
governor an author whose achievements make him or her deserving of such
recognition.

3. The state author shall promote and encourage fiction within the
state and shall give two public readings within the state each year.

4. The institute shall establish such procedures and guidelines as are
necessary to effect the provisions of this section.